Customizing a Facebook page

Social media is one of the biggest marketing tools for us as business owners. Our clients and potential clients are communicating to us more and more through the use of these tools. Right now, Facebook leads the pack with social media. So, how do we make a great first impression with our clients if they find us through Facebook instead of via our websites? I’m going to show you how you can creating a landing page to welcome new visitors!

There are several apps out there to help you create a landing page. There are free options as well as paid options. Ripe Social is a great example of a paid option. You get several different apps you can install to help customize your Facebook experience. You can check them out here: www.ripesocial.com

I’m going to show you how to create a free version using the WildFire app.
1.  You will need to install the app through your Facebook page. You can grab that app HERE Or you can search for WildFire iFrames app 

2.  Click on Install app and add it to your page (if you have several pages you will need to choose from the drop down menu)

3. Fill out the registration

4. It should now be added to the menu directly under your profile image

5. Click that link so you can edit the contents

 

Now the fun part!

Designing your Landing Welcome Page.

I start with a Photoshop document at 520 pixels wide by 650 pixels high, set your resolution at  72 ppi.
You can adjust the height more if you want but I would keep it relatively small so that those with smaller screens won’t have to scroll. You want it to be pleasing to look at and your call of action (“click like”) to be seen quickly.

Here’s a quick sample:

(Yes you will be able to download this template below!)

 

Once you have it all designed and pretty it’s time to install this baby!

Go back to your Facebook Welcome page and click EDIT SETTINGS

You will have a screen that looks like this:

 

You now have a few options. For a simple Welcome page you can leave the setting as is. Or you can have 2 separate graphics. 1 for people who haven’t liked your page yet and 1 for current “likers”

For this tutorial we are going to just do 1 graphic. The other is simple to figure out as well.

You will want to add the design you created under FANS VIEW

Click FAN GATE OFF (this is so fans who do and do not like the page already see the same graphic), If you want to set up a graphic that is different for those that Like you leave it on and set up 2 graphics.

Choose,  custom image to upload from your desktop. You can also upload your image to another server like flickr and then grab the link.

click the Agree to policies button and the Save & Preview.

Next you are going to need to direct all your traffic to this page so that new visitors land here instead of your wall.

While on you page wall follow these simple steps:

1. Click Edit Page (top right of page)

2. Click Manage Permissions

3. Find the Default Landing Tab section and choose the application you named “Welcome” (or whatever you decided to name it)

4. Click Save Changes

 

Now anyone that hasn’t liked your page will come to your welcome page first! There is no option for those that already like your page they will automatically be thrown on your wall. No way to change this yet.

Designing your Profile Image

Set your document to 180×540 pixels @ 72 ppi

Here’s a sample:

 

FREE TEMPLATES!

Ok now that you know how to install and set up your images, here are the sample templates you saw above to get you started!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD 

Hope that helps all of you that are wanting to create a more custom Facebook page. If you want a more custom design please feel free to contact me! I do create custom Facebook pages for my clients and I would be happy to help you! www.candacewilsoncreative.com 

Please feel free to leave a comment below with a link to your Facebook page to show off your new welcome tab!

 

Here are some sample Facebook pages I have customized for other photographers, go check them out and of course LIKE them!!

Carolyn Jayne Photography

Amber Fox Photographer

Rikki Mae Photography

And of course, yours truly! Candace Wilson Photographer